First Date
by Ella Lane
Summary: Lois and Clark's First Date: answer to a challenge.


First Date

It was not the first time they worked late together. Whenever there was big News, the Daily Planet's star team would be involved in it. So, here they were, late at night, discussing how they would write this big story on the Mayor's involvement with the Intergang. As usual, they had ordered Pizza, and after finishing the story, Clark Kent was looking at Lois Lane's computer's screen revising her article. So, it wasn't the first time he would be behind her, the hand on her shoulder, his head near hers reading attentively to check her phrasing. Why was it different today? Lois couldn't tell. She was over sensitive to everything about him: his aftershave smell, his perfect jaw, his smile… Everything about him was shaking her up, and it was really uncomfortable because this was Clark Kent: the King of Flannel, Smallville, Farm boy, and, most important, her working partner. Lois Lane believed firmly that partners should never, ever, get involved romantically. It would be the end of a successful partnership and, in her case, the end of the most important friendship she ever had in her entire life. She could not lose Clark's friendship. She simply couldn't.

"Lois." She was startled by Clark's voice, coming back to the real world. "You spaced out. I've been talking to you for 5 minutes and you didn't pay attention to a word I said." He complained.

"I did pay attention. I'm just a little tired. It's almost two o'clock and I can barely maintain my eyes open." She covered up.

"Ok. If you want, I can finish this for you and e-mail it to Perry." Clark suggested looking concerned at her. Another thing that always melted her heart: the way Clark took care of her. He was the one who remember her she should eat, when she was too involved in a story, who made sure she rested and went home safe, late at night. What would she do without her dearest friend? Lois Lane wasn't too brave to try to find out. No, things should be the way it was: being friends was for the best. Besides, she was in love with Superman and she was sure he had feelings for her too. Maybe the only thing Superman needed was a little push. She definitely should work on that. She needed to get involved with someone quickly, in order to not confuse her precious friendship with Clark with something else.

"Thanks, Clark. I would appreciate that. Listen, if you don't mind, I'm going home now. I really need to rest."

"Lois, don't you think it would be best if you stay here? You can always sleep at the couch in Perry's office. I don't think it's safe for you to go out alone at his hour…"

"Hey, Smallville! Come on! How many times have I left this building alone late at night and nothing ever happened? Besides, I can take care of myself, you know that." She looked at Clark and when she saw the concern in his face she went on. "Clark, I know you care, but don't worry, I'll be ok."

"Right" He answered. "But call me when you get home, ok?" Sweet Clark, she thought, always taking care of her.

"Ok, Smallville, I will. Take care."

"Good night, Lois."

A few minutes later, Lois Lane was getting into her car, ready to drive back home and preparing herself for another lonesome night, maybe revolving in bed thinking about what she would do with her life, and when did it get so complicated. Things were simpler before: work, work and work. No spaces for doomed relationships. Men, she used to think, leaded to bitter suffering and disappointment. This was before Superman and before she got to really know Clark Kent. These were the most important men in her life: the man she loved and her best friend. But at the beginning, Clark was safe. She thought she had figured him out when she met him in Smallville: a farm boy without ambitions, honest and simple, nothing more than that. But he kept surprising her: first becoming a great investigative reporter who could rival her, and that was something because she was the best. Then, he surprised her by his integrity and loyalty: he would always be there for his friends, even her, in spite of her attitude towards him. Yes, she though she knew him, but each day she was discovering something new about him and something that made her love him more. She had known for a while she loved him, but she was never in danger of falling in love with him before. He was just her best friend. Now, she was noticing in him the very same qualities that made her fall for Superman. So, she would have to fight it. Superman was an entirely different story. He was her idol, the perfect man with no flaws… A girl could get involved with someone like him and never get disappointed because he was different from the rest of men, because he was so much more…

She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice the guy with a gun coming in her direction. She just had time to put her car in motion before he started shooting her. 'Great'. She thought. 'The perfect ending to a most confusing day: me dead.' She didn't have to worry, though. As soon as the shooting started, she noticed a familiar rush of blue coming between her car and the bullets. Superman, of course, he never failed to save her. She stopped the car and walked towards Superman, who already had caught the gun man.

"Who is him?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer to the question. Of course she didn't know the guy's name, which was irrelevant, but he was probably one of the Intergang's guys.

"Probably he is someone working for the Mayor." Superman said. "Clark told me you were working on a piece, regarding his involvement with the Intergang and this smells of retaliation."

"Yeah, I was thinking about something like that too. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take this guy to the Police for custody and you are coming with me, Lois. I don't think is a good idea you walking home by yourself tonight." He said firmly. "After we take this guy, I will leave you in your apartment."

Thirty minutes later, Superman was flying Lois Lane home. She loved being in his arms: she felt warm, safe and loved. He had the power of shaking her insides up. She loved everything about him: his courage, his unselfishness, his character and his compassion. She also found him charming and he had the most incredible body. And his eyes… She could lose herself inside those eyes of his…

"You want to come in for a while?" She asked as soon as he landed her on her apartment.

"If you don't mind I'll just check if everything is all right here." He replied taking a quick look over her apartment. Of course, he was so kind. It melted her heart seeing him so concerned about her.

"Of course, I don't mind, Superman." She said smiling at him sweetly. She laughed a little embarrassed and started to talk. "You know, I was jus thinking. Wouldn't it be funny to see each other when it wasn't a danger thing?" She blushed slightly. "Not funny ha, ha."

She added.

"What are you saying?" Superman frowned at her words. "You wanna have a date?"

"No!" She almost shouted embarrassed. She didn't want him to think she was flirting with him. No way.

"You don't wanna have a date?" He asked confused now.

"Who said date? I never said date."

"Right." He answered coldly. "You just wanna have coffee or something."

"Coffee?" She asked hopefully.

"I knew this would happen." Superman started pacing around her room.

"What exactly do you think is happening here?" She was starting to get mad at him. This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. She knew he liked her and she never thought he would reject her.

"Lois, you don't know me. Whatever you think you feel towards me is not real. It's just the costume, the cape and the powers." He started.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She was blushing furiously now. Who does he think he was, walking in her apartment, telling her what she was feeling was a lie? 'I don't think so buddy.'

"I'm sorry, Lois, I really am. But I can't be your knight in shining armor rescuing you from the bad witch and kissing you so you would awake from you deepest sleep and we live happily ever after. This is not a fairy tale. This is real life. You don't know me at all, so don't presume to be in love with me." With these last words, Superman flew away, leaving a very upset Lois in her apartment.

"How dare he?" She thought between sobs. She thought he cared. She thought he loved her, but it was all a lie. He was just like any other man: making a girl fall in love with him so he could feel good about himself, just to reject her afterwards. She was a fool. She really thought he was different. "Well, he will see." She thought. "You think yourself that great, Superman. But you are not the only fish in the sea. I will prove you that you are not the only guy for me."

Clark Kent finished the article and shut off his computer after e-mailing it to his editor, Perry White. It was four o'clock in the morning now and he was really tired. It was a very hard day, both physically and emotionally. He had been in love with Lois Lane since he came to Metropolis. He wasn't even sure if he hadn't fallen for her in Smallville when they were teenagers, because even back then, he remembered she always confused him and he used to have these strong and contradictory feelings towards her, but it didn't compare what he felt today. He loved her passionately and hopelessly as he never thought he would love anyone. It bugged him to no end the fact that she only noticed him as Superman. At the beginning he was happy she was in love with the caped super hero. He never thought anyone would accepted him being an alien and when she was so dazzled about the alien side of him, he was enchanted. Soon, though, he ached for her to love him as a man, for her to see beyond his small town background, and love him, Clark Kent as a whole. And there lied the irony of it: because of the alien she was blind to the man. And because he was afraid to lose her as a friend, he never tried to make her seen how much him, Clark, loved her. Tonight was too much for him. She had thrown herself at Superman, asking him to go out on a date! He couldn't stop to think about it as he flew to his apartment that night.

He walked inside his apartment and looked at his calling machine. It was blinking furiously. He pressed the button and listened to the message.

"Hey, Smallville, it's me." Lois's voice started to warm his heart as he listened to her. "You asked me to call you and here I am." She laughed slightly. "I hope you finished that article buddy, and you made home safe 'cause there were some weird guys waiting for us outside the Planet. But don't worry, I'm all right. See you tomorrow, Smallville."

He pressed the button playing the message again and again, looking for any sign of distress in her voice. There were none. Just the friendly voice he heard everyday. He hoped he hadn't hurt her too much, but Superman couldn't have a girlfriend. If only she would pay attention to Clark… But maybe it was time for him to make a move. Maybe if he invited her out on a date, for a pizza and a movie, or something else entirely different. Yeah, it was time, he decided. Enough is enough.

Lois Lane waked decidedly towards her partner's desk that morning: she was a woman in a mission. After crying her eyes out the whole night, she decided enough was enough. She was not going to wait for Superman any longer. She was going to get over him, and if Clark Kent was the way to do it, then, she would go for it. No more being afraid of losing his friendship, no more being concerned about his sudden disappearances, no more being stopped by stupid working rules she herself had decided year ago. She felt something for Smallville and she would find what it was now.

"Hey, Clark" She said smiling tenderly at him.

"Hi, Lois." He answered her smiling too. His smile warmed her heart and at the same time scared her. She couldn't do it. She couldn't lose him. No, she wouldn't… "How was your night? Did you sleep well?" Harmless conversation, she could do this.

"Yeah, quite well. You?" She answered lowering her eyes to the cup of coffee Clark was already putting on her desk.

"Yeah, fine" He could do it. "Lois, I was thinking…" She looked at him startled by the harsh tone in his voice. "I want to ask you something…"

"It's something I won't like, isn't it?" She asked nervously looking at him.

"No!" He exclaimed. "At least I hope you would like."

"It's something bad. I can see it in your face."

"Lois, please." He asked.

"It's money, isn't it? We are friends, Clark. You can tell me. How much do you need?"

"NO. Lois, I wanttogooutwithyou." He said quickly, without pausing between the words.

"What?" She asked, dropping the mug, which broke in pieces splattering coffee all over the floor. They both started at the same time to try to collect all the pieces, and then, their hands touched while holding the same piece.

He tried again breathing deeply and looking into her eyes while holding firmly her hand. "Lois, I want to go out with you."

"You mean, like a date?" She asked sweetly lost into his eyes.

"Yeah. Would you like it to be a date?" He asked unsure.

"Yeah. I'd like that very much." She smiled at him. He was in Heaven. He finally had the guts to ask her on a date and she said yes! This was perfect.

"So" He asked, helping her to get on her feet. "What would you like to do?"

"I don't know, Smallville. Surprise me." She said smirking at him. "If you can."

"I will" He promised her smiling mischievously. "I will."

They had been driving for two hours now. She was really starting to get tired of waiting. Clark refused to tell her where they were going, but she was recognizing the surrounding places. They were going to Smallville. Why, she had no idea. Ok, she liked Smallville, she really did. It was a nice little town, but there weren't many things to do there, and she wasn't exactly excited about the possibility of having her first date at the Kent's Farm talking with his parents. Not that she didn't like them. She loved them. But a first date was supposed to be about being alone. You and the guy. Not you, the guy, and the guy's parents! She really hoped that wasn't Clark's plan at all. Then she noticed he wasn't going to the farm. They stopped at the middle of nowhere. Literally.

"Ok, Smallville. Spill. Where are we?" She asked angry.

"Can't you see, Lois, look around." He asked urgently. She did. All she saw was a corn field. Nothing else. Corns, corns and corns.

"Sorry, Clark. All I see is corn" She answered looking at him strangely.

"Yes, this is a corn field. The corn field where we first met. Remember?" She looked around again. He was right. This is the place where her car stopped after the lightning, where she found him naked and thought she should look at his face and not at his body. Yeah, it was here all right. She smiled. Yes, he definitely surprised her…

He was taking a picnic basket and hurrying her out. "Come on, Lois. I'm starving" And he took her hand and they started running in the corn field looking after a place where they could place their picnic. Yes, she thought, this was it. Maybe he was only Clark Kent, the guy she worked with, the King of flannel, Smallville, farm boy, her best friend. But she was starting to understand now that maybe Clark Kent was just the guy she fell in love with…

The End


End file.
